Congress's Pramod Tiwari slams Punjab CM Mann's 'disrespectful behaviour' with farmers

New Delhi [India], March 4 (ANI): Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Tuesday criticized Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his conduct in the meeting with farmer leaders, accusing him of showing disrespect.
On the farmer leaders' statement on meeting with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said, "He showed disrespectful behaviour towards the farmers by walking out of the meeting. He should have consciously held a conversation with the farmers and told them about the government's inability to fulfil their demands..."
Earlier today, protesting farmers claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had got "angry" and "provoked" them during a meeting with him in Chandigarh.
Bhagwant Mann conducted the meeting on Monday to persuade farmers who had been protesting at the Khanauri border in the Sangrur district to call off their protest on March 5.
Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal described Chief Minister Mann as unusually angry, noting that he had never witnessed such an outburst, even in high-level negotiations.
"The meeting was going on well, and we were coming to agreements on several issues. After we came to an agreement on the eighth issue, the CM said he wanted to leave, owing to a doctor's appointment. Then, he asked about our plans for March 5. He said we are holding talks; why do you still want to proceed with the protest? He became very angry and left the meeting saying 'do whatever you want to do'... I have had negotiations at the Prime Minister level but have never seen a leader so angry. We will come to Chandigarh (on 5 March)," he said.
Farmer leader Raminder Patila said that this is not how a Chief Minister should behave.
"We had a memorandum of 18 demands, and we had reached the 8th point when he straight up asked us not to protest on March 5. If he will not listen to our demands, we have the right to make ourselves heard. If he thinks that things will end just by meeting, that is not the case. The behaviour displayed by the CM was condemnable. He left the meeting mid-way. This should not be how a CM is supposed to behave. We will come back on 5th March and force the CM to sit with us... We wanted thorough discussions, and we will not accept it if he tries to curtail or dictate our discussions... He had invited us for this meeting... We will hold an indefinite protest," Patila said. (ANI)